Patent GB-1355708-A (GB)
Title: Loop transfer knitting apparatus
IPC: D04B15/00
Filed: 1971-07-22
Abstract: 1355708 Knitting-machines BENTLEY ENG CO LTD 2 June 1972 [22 July 1971] 34344/71 Heading D1C In a double cylinder circular knitting machine loop transfer is achieved by an instrument which moves radially of the needle cylinders to spread a loop to an adjacent needle. As shown in Fig. IA the instrument comprises a hook shaped member 28 mounted on a shaft 24 which is rotated by a bowden cable 34 against the action of a spring 36 according to the patterning and loop transferring dictates of the machine. During normal knitting a bowden cable 35 overcomes the action of the spring 36 so that no transfer can take place. The bowden cable 34 is driven from a framework 68 which is oscillated about a pivot 70 by means of a cam septem 40. Cams 56a, b and c are fastened to a shaft 54 and driven at the same speed and a cam 56d is mounted on a sleeve surrounding the shaft and is driven at a different speed all producing different loop transferring effects. Cam followers 66a to d act on pins 82a to d on a rod 72 in the frame 68 which rod is rotatable so that a given cam can be selectively engaged. As shown in Fig. 9 for example a loop 96 which has been taken by the upper hook of a needle 13 is spread by the member 26 as it is retained on the lower latch of the needle, the spreading taking place as the needle cylinder rotates and the latch being retained positioning radially outwardly by a suitable latch guard at a level 94. As shown the loop is spread to a needle from tricks away but previously loop transfer over one trick in a similar manner using a different cam is assumed to have taken place a number of times and the intermediate needles taken out of action. In a modification a needle having a latchless lower hook may be used but instead of being put into an upper cylinder inactive track as in Fig. 9 it is returned to the lower cylinder as the loop 96 is released therefrom and enters an inactive track therein. Constructed transfer takes place until the whole fabric is retained on a single needle and then the machine continues to operate knitting a single chain to close the end of a tubular fabric. In a modification (Fig. 20) the spreading instrument comprises a cone-shaped point 18' with a notch 19' therein. The point 18 is moved radially inwardly of the needle cylinder by means of a spring 67' which may be taken out of action by a bowden cable 68'. The opposite end of the member 18 is mounted in a cradle 35' on a pair of arms 37' pivoted at their upper ends. The movement of the arms is controlled by cam packs in the same way as the previous embodiment. The member 18 is turnable about its axis by means of a chain 27 which is controlled by a solenoid 30' energised by a microswitch 29' on the mounting for the arms 37'. When the member 18 enters the loop to spread it, the notch 19 is turned so that it catches the loop to hold it during spreading. As the member 18 is withdrawn it is returned to its original position so that the loop is released from the notch. The final transferring operation is carried out in this case with needles having latchless lower hooks. The upper needle cylinder is provided with verge bits 122' which are mounted by means of an outer sleeve 129' which can be reciprocated against spring pressure by a pivoted lever 150' (Fig. 22). An inner sleeve 140' causes a plate 134' which has twenty one spaced teeth thereon which spread the loops to allow the member 18 to enter therein. The plate is movable up and down for this purpose on the sleeve 140' under the action of a lever 162'. The lower needle cylinder has an indent 120' to restrict the passage through which the fabric is taken down.